Compass Rose
by PeridotEmerald
Summary: Pirate!Yuuma x Siren!Piko When Pirate Captain Yuuma discovers the ultimate treasure, he realizes a siren by the name of Piko is worth far more to him than riches and jewels! Rated M for later chapters. Mature content is optional to the reader.
1. Welcome Aboard the Compass Rose!

**Disclaimer! I own none of Vocaloid, nor any of its characters. They belong to they're respected owners. **

**A/N:** _Hello my muffins! *hugs you all tightly* This is the start of Compass Rose, a Pirate!Yuuma x Siren!Piko fan fiction! Let me first explain what a siren is (or at least the way I'm using them). Sirens are a lot like Mermaids (and Mermen of course) but the greatest difference is that when a Siren goes on land they can take the form of a human. Sirens attract sailors to them with their beautiful voices before killing them. Usually the way of killing them is that the sailor will follow the voice, thus throwing themselves into the ocean to drown. I'm using this. HOWEVER. Piko (along with any other siren in this story) has the ability to kill through song alone. But it's not just song that has the effect; it's any usage of his voice. Screaming, humming, crying, moaning; they all have different effects. I think that's all that I need to tell you right now. I promise my Author's Notes aren't always this long, just the first chapter or so. Alright, here goes! Enjoy!_

***Compass Rose***

** *Prologue Part 1* **

"This island looks deserted…" A few of Yuuma's crewmates nod in agreement while others voice their opinions out loud. "Leave no stone unturned!" and with that, the pirate crew set out in search of the riches that were rumored to be on this tiny island.

The pirate captain himself sat perched on the wooden edge of his ship, watching foamy waves slap against the sand. It was then that Yuuma saw something shine beneath the white layer of salty film being left by the water. It was rather large and shimmering gold; Yuuma, of course, had to take a closer look.

Lifting the object into the air, the pink-haired man found it to be a heart-shaped locket, about the size of his own eye, attached to a long gold chain. The two pictures inside the heart had long since withered away. He pocketed the item and was about to return to his ship when a shape in the wet sand caught his attention. All of his men wore shoes, so the sight of a trail of footprints meant only one thing; they weren't alone.

Sword in hand, Yuuma followed the prints, assuming this person must know something about the treasures. They were rather small and the person who left the path seemed to have walked intoed. As he followed the trail around what looked like a boulder, he came to discover that the opposite side was entirely hollow.

Littering the sandy ground were countless valuables. Millions of necklaces, all spread out neatly; varying in lengths and sizes and sorted accordingly. Glittering like strings of holiday lights were dozens upon dozens of vines, each with its own share of rings; making a silver and gold canopy dangling from the top of the cave. A large collection of colorful stones; some recognizable as diamonds, topaz, and various quartz; was balanced on crevices in the stone that served as make-shift shelves. There was also an assortment of silver utensils and pieces of stained glass, as well as a few vanity items.

And sitting in the middle of it all was a person whose body was hidden by long- yes, very long- white hair. In the kid's hand was a porcelain-framed mirror in which Captain Yuuma could see one green and one blue eye widen in terror.

He stood in a hurry and spun to face the pirate. Yuuma could see that the boy was also quite decorated. Around his waist he'd wrapped a white and gold fabric that might've been part of a wedding dress in the past. His long, teased fringe supported a diamond studded hair clip and his right wrist was hidden by a golden cuff. He wore more jewelry but Yuuma couldn't catch a good look at it as he darted toward the ocean.

He quickly chased after the kid, who ran with surprising speed. He ran straight for the large rocks bordering the island. With his boots giving him a slight advantage over the bare-footed kid, Yuuma scaled the rocks with ease.

So it quickly came down to a standoff. Nearing the ledge of a cliff was the white-haired boy, trembling and taking a small step back for each step the pirate captain took closer to him. On the safer end was Yuuma, whose sword had been sheathed. He stood with his hands up at each side of his head, trying to negotiate with the kid who was clearly skilled in finding lost riches. If only he could trick the kid into boarding his ship; from there he could lock the albino away as a captive and use him to his advantage.

"Kid! You're going to die if you keep that up, so just come over here!"  
_I can survive it.  
"_I only want your help; I won't hurt you!"  
_If I go with him, he'll find out. He'll hold me captive.  
_"I'm unarmed! I've laid down my sword!"  
_There's a gun in his coat. If I turn to run, he'll shoot.  
_"I just need you to accompany me,"  
_I just need a chance to jump,  
_"Now come on!"  
"**GO AWAY!**" Their demands were shouted in unison; though the victim's voice rang out at a deafening volume. Yuuma, his crew, and anyone else in hearing range of the boy's shouting fell to their knees and protected their ears from the sound that confused the ocean's waves and shook the very land they stood on.

Yuuma gathered his senses as the cliff he was standing on split. The white-haired boy fell, along with the entire half of the rock he had been standing on. But much to Yuuma's surprise, he uses the clay stage as a launch pad; running the full length of it before leaping off the edge and diving flawlessly into the water.

"No human can survive that!" He exclaimed, unable to believe what he had just seen. Despite the odds, the boy breaks the surface; cheering as he sees the damage he caused and the escape he made.

"Not today!" The boy shouted. "Try harder next time, you pathetic pirates! It takes more than one amateur human to capture a siren, ya know!" And with that the boy dove under once again, the end of his black tail throwing water into the air before disappearing into the waves as well.

***Compass Rose***

** *Prologue Part 2* **

"What is this!?"

"Get it up here! Faster! You don't want it screaming again!"

"PARLEY! I CALL PARLEY!"

"We hear ya, brat."  
"Don't worry yourself, Cap'n Yuuma wanted to meet'cha anyway."

"UNHAND ME, YOU DIRTY- MMPH!"

"Out of my way, men."  
"Is this him, Sir?"  
"Indeed, it is. _This_ is our key to all the riches you can imagine, boys!... You. Look at you. Who's the pathetic one now, kid? Ha! Don't even try that! One unpermitted peep from you and you'll be tasting bullets. Now, what's your name?"

"…. Piko."

"Well, _Piko_, welcome aboard the Compass Rose."


	2. I Hate That Guy And His Stupid Pink Hair

**Disclaimer! I own none of Vocaloid, nor any of its characters. They belong to their respected owners. **

**A/N:** _Hello again, Muffins! Nice ending on that prologue, yea? Must be if you decided to keep reading! BUT THAT TYPO IN THE PROLOGUE'S DISCLAIMER. I guess that's what happens when you type at 5 in the morning. __**YAOI AND RAPE WARNING IN THIS CHAPTER**__ There is a warning and end warning to section it off. Now_ _I have one more thing to say about my alteration of sirens. If there is something interfering with their legs or feet (for example: clothes, jewelry, a cuff, shoes...) they will not transform, even when submerged in sea water. It kind of makes sense if you ask me. Remember that at this point Piko only has a piece of silk tied at his hip to cover his junk on land (it remains there when he transforms, too) and hair down to his ankles. _

***Compass Rose***

"Would you quit pushing me?!" Piko bit. "I know how to walk!"

"Can it, brat." The pirate said from behind him. Aside from that little outburst, Piko walked quietly and obediently in whichever direction the man guided him. As he was shoved into a small cell, the siren boy fell to his hands and knees and looked back at the violet-haired man. While he was locking the cell Piko quickly got to his feet, approaching the bars before the man left.

"Hey wait..." Piko mumbled, looking up at him with big eyes. "Before you go, can I have your name?"

"It's Taito." He said, turning. He was told to lock the kid up and leave immediately as not to be affected by his spell, and that was what he planned on doing. At least until the boy let out a single note.

It was quiet, hardly above a whisper, and occasionally faded from a high A to a higher G. Taito was completely captivated as he turned again to face the boy. Piko reached his hand through the bars when he succeeded in attracting the pirate. He knew this trick. He'd met a human once before. He just needed Taito's left hand. With physical contact to the man, Piko would intensify his voice to release a note that'd send a strong vibration into the pirate's hand to travel through his veins and immediately attack his heart, causing it to burst the way a wine glass would in response to a high note. Once Taito was dead, Piko could reach into his pocket for the key to his cell and free himself. He'd be able to jump overboard before anyone noticed. It was foolproof.

_That's right, come to me._ Piko thought. Taito was clearly trying to resist but took another heavy step toward the cell. _This song, it's for you. So listen to it carefully. _It was a peaceful song, one that could lull anyone to sleep. But with Piko's intentions, it could drag a man to hell. _Do you feel tired? It's a lullaby. Take my hand and you can go to sleep._

Just as their fingertips skimmed against each other's, a shout broke the connection between the two.

"**Taito!**"

Said man snapped out of his trance, slapping Piko's hand away. The captive boy snatched his hand back into the cell, alternating between holding it and attempting to shake off the pain. Underwater, where everybody had webbed fingers designed to _not_ cut through water, Piko had never been slapped. So it stung to no end, dyeing his soft pale skin a bright red. He retreated to the corner of his cell as the other man, who looked like a blue-haired version of Taito, approached him.

"The fuck do you think you're doing!?" He snapped. "Yuuma just fucking said you'd be shot for this!"

"Kaito, calm down!" Taito cried out just as his brother reached for a pistol. "It was my fault, I stayed to listen!" Kaito only huffed in response, putting the gun down. "We'll let Captain Yuuma know and let him deal with it. But for now; nothing from this cell can be heard on deck, so as long as no one comes down here no one will be captivated like that."

"You're right. As for you; you monster!"

"I could call you the same." Piko intervened.

"You and your kind are a disgusting species! Cold-blooded! Heartless! I'll be sure to personally see to your death!" The man then grabbed his brother's wrist and led him from the room.

"Ditto!" Piko called out just before the door slammed.

***Compass Rose***

The young siren stayed in the corner of his cell that was furthest from the door, curled up in a ball and humming quietly to himself while he watched the orange light flicker from a few cells down. He couldn't help but to sob in between notes.

"That's what I get." He whimpered. "For going on land again. I ran into these guys once already; I should have learned my lesson then." He started crying once again, forgetting his pride for the time being. "I want to go home!" he whined into his knees.

"Too bad."

Piko gasped and looked up at the voice, quickly drying his eyes. On the other side of the bars was the captain, looking down at him with the orange light in his hand. The boy made no attempt to sing, scream, or speak to the man as he stood slowly, cautious of the gun in his coat pocket.

"Come over here."

Once Piko was near the bars, Yuuma pulled him over the rest of the way. "Your speech volume will stay at a bare minimum. You'll not make a single noise unless told otherwise, understood?" the siren simply nodded as Yuuma unlocked the cell and let Piko out. Piko, of course, was ready to attack, but as soon as he took a step to do so a silver barrel was pressed against his forehead. "I would advise not doing something so stupid."

The albino swallowed hard and met the captain's amber eyes. The latter hid his gun inside his coat once again and walked down the corridor, motioning for Piko to follow.

"Piko, tell me, when I open this door do you plan on jumping?"  
"I, um..."  
"No, don't make something up. Tell me; if I were to just open this door and tell you to go, where would you go?"  
"Back to the ocean, obviously."  
"Would you ever come back?" Piko was a bit dumbfounded. Was this guy a complete idiot?  
"Of course not." He replied honestly. To his surprise the pink-haired man before him smiled and placed the light stick (as Piko decided to call it) into a ring sticking out from the wall.

"Is it true or false that a siren is no longer accepted into their home after interaction with a human being?" Yuuma asked trivially.

"_Intercourse,_" Piko corrected before reciting; "Those who engage in sexual intercourse with a species of land mammal such as the human shall be permanently forbidden to re-enter the social community of the ocean left to us by our Lord Neptune and shall forever be condemned to life on land in order to protect those who remain underwater. It's an important law to our community, but it in other words says I can still return to the ocean since we haven't had sex."

"So if I did this..?"

"STOP THAT!" The siren yelped, slapping Yuuma's hand away from his thigh. He was met with the back of the captain's hand across his face, somehow sending him to the floor. The captain grabbed Piko's hair and yanked him up to his knees.

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak again." Piko cut him a look that threatened to kill, only for it to be completely ignored as he was pulled to his feet by his bangs. Before he could protest, a pair of fine, cold lips were pressed against his. After being pinned against the wall he managed to turn his cheek to the man, gasping for a breath. Yuuma's hand returned to Piko's thigh, urging him to defy his captor again. "I dare you to forget that you are just a pitiful animal who got caught in a net. You belong to me; remember that. Because when you forget, you can trust me to remind you."

"_I'm_ the animal here?" Again, Piko was met with pain; this time it was the blade of a dagger against his jaw line. Despite being originally from the Atlantic, the metal was one of the coldest things he'd ever felt.

"Wanna say something else?"

"You technically just gave me permission to, so- ah!" The boy was cut off by his hair being pulled once again, throwing him against the opposite wall.

"Look here, smart-ass!" The captain demanded as the siren fell to his knees and held his head. "Stand up. **Stand up, I said!**" Piko obeyed and stood, keeping his distance. Once he was straight, Yuuma grabbed the fabric around the boy's waist and yanked it off with ease before wrapping it around the boy's throat instead. He tied it tightly in the back and shoved the boy toward the hall to his cell once again. Piko took every chance he could to resist the man; digging his heels into the wood, grabbing the bars of any other cell, even kicking Yuuma's shins with every other step.

"Scream." Yuuma said calmly after locking himself inside Piko's cell with him. "This is soundproof. You could kill me right now, and nobody above deck would know. So do it."

"Y-you're testing me." Piko stated, trying to hide the cracking shakes in his voice. Yuuma claps his hands sarcastically.

"You figure that one out all on your own?"

Enraged, Piko lunged forward to attack the man. Having taught himself to walk, he wasn't too good with his legs. But a lifetime of swimming gave him a benefit on land and he decided to take advantage of it. He swung a fist at Yuuma's face, but found himself on the floor when his legs were kicked out from under him. By the time he was up on his knees the dagger was under his chin, forcing him to look up at his predator.

"You aren't as bright as I thought you were." Yuuma mumbled. "You can't do anything without your voice, can you?"

"I can." Piko attempted to shout, only to fall into a coughing fit. Although the scrap fabric wasn't cutting off his air, the siren boy found out quickly that if he tried to raise his voice above a whisper he'd choke.

"Pft. In that case, let's see if you're good for anything else."

**YAOI WARNING**

Piko's face could easily resemble that of a growling dog as Yuuma's fingers traced the details of his body. The captain shamelessly felt the boy, dragging his hands down each side of his torso before moving them behind the siren and grabbing his ass, smacking it with his right hand. Piko shifted onto his other leg attempting to escape the treatment he was receiving. By now his face was burning a bright red; not out of shame but of rage.

"You're disgusting."

"As are you; look at this mess." Yuuma replied, running a hand through Piko's course, frizzed and knotted hair.

"Sorry, let me just move to a freshwater ocean for you." The boy smarted, coughing lightly at the end. He then gasped, well, tried to, as the captain gave his hair a yank. "nng!" He whimpered with wet eyes.

"So you're into that?" Piko replied with an offended sound before spitting at his captor's face. He surprising stayed calm and wiped his face on his hand before drying it off on the smart-assed victim. _That sound alone…_ Yuuma thought. _How did it…? _

The next thing Piko knew he was against the bars with his wrists being held above his head with one of Yuuma's hands while the held the boy's hip. He could feel the captor's erection through his pants and his own blanket of hair that attempted to hide his bare body.

The silver robe was thrown over the boy's shoulder as the captain muttered something about it being annoying. But that was the least of his worries as he felt a cold slim finger locate his hole before entering. Instinctively he let out a gasp and arched his back before coming back to his senses and stomping on the man's boot. Yuuma ignored it as he was absorbed in the voice this kid had. Seeing as siren voices were said to kill people, he couldn't believe that this boy's voice was driving him crazy. He entered another finger and thrust the two in and out of Piko's body.

"Filthy creature!" he hissed, wincing in pain. "Disgraceful to those of your kind; One should feel humiliation in doing this kind of thing; to steal from one what they're not yet old enough to have- **nng!**- lost already!"

"Don't talk like you're something." Yuuma mumbled as his other hand felt his captive's torso, allowing his fingers to rub the attentive nipples, pinching them lightly and summoning another strained moan from the kid. At that he removed his fingers, only for them to be quickly replaced by his cock. Piko's lips parted in a silent cry as tears dripped down his cheeks. Ruthless as he may be, Yuuma remained still for a moment until the boy's ass adjusted to his size. When the pain was tolerable enough to move, Piko swung his right leg at Yuuma's, connecting harshly with his knee. Yuuma took this as a cue to move, seeing as the kid was clearly back to his own self.

Piko clutched the metal bars of the cell; trying desperately to keep quiet as the man's cock thrust into him repeatedly. He found himself having to remind his body that this was wrong; yet each time Yuuma's tip hit against his prostate he also found himself biting back moans. Thankfully it was a little easier to do that with the silk scrap tied around his throat. Yuuma licked the siren's ear, satisfied with the way it made him jump and protest with a half angered blush on his face. He continued thrusting roughly into the boy as he reached around and began stroking the victim's cock. Piko bit his lip until he tasted copper; annoyed by the way his body was forcing him to react. Finally he broke.

"Nn- Ah!" was the almost harmonic moan from the boy, causing Yuuma to spill his seed into his body. Piko felt like dying as he also came into the hand of this rapist. That rapist, on the other hand, was in a whole different world right now.

_Holy fucking Christ. _He thought. _I didn't know siren voices were also used for that. I was only told that they could kill; nothing about pleasure. I wonder what else –_

"-**OFF ME! Get the fuck away!" **The boy was clearly intending to scream. It came out, however, as a more airy whisper than when he was just talking. Yuuma stepped away, fixing his pants and wiping his hand in Piko's hair (just to piss him off).

**YAOI END**

The second Piko remembered how to move, he turned on his heel and slapped the pirate just as hard as he could manage; immediately leaving a bright red hand print. Yuuma was tempted to slap back, but knew he had something to tend to upstairs and didn't need to delay it any further by kitten-fighting with a teenager. He left the cell and locked it behind him as Piko retreated to his corner once again. He smirked (hideously, in Piko's eyes) and looked at the boy with a thoughtful expression before sticking his index finger up.

"Got it." He stated, as if they'd been debating an interesting subject. Piko glared at him with a hint of confusion in his mismatched orbs. Yuuma turned to leave, but spun on his heel to face Piko again; looking smugger than ever. "Tell me now, Piko, do you still plan on jumping?"

"I hope you're sunk to the darkest, coldest, deepest abyss of the ocean and left there to rot."

"I see; in that case, I'll be back in an hour or so." And with that he left. As soon as the door to the cell hall was shut and locked once again, Piko reached behind his head to untie the fabric from his neck, giving his throat freedom to allow him to cry.

By the time his tears stopped, he couldn't help but wonder how long it'd been. He had no way of telling, but it felt like it'd been years since that pink-haired captain left him alone with just the glow of the light stick; and even the light stick was far at the other end of the hall. He heard the door re-open and quickly re-tied the cloth and got to his feet, wincing at the pain in his back.

"Hey there," Taito chimed. "I was told to bring you this." He held out a small stack of clothes, his arms pushed through the cell bars. "I'm not sure if you know how to get dressed in regular clothes, so if you need help I'm here." Piko shakily took the items and unfolded them. He pulled the grey shirt over him, noting how it reached a few inches past his hips. He struggled to keep balance on one foot and opted for sitting on the wooden floor to pull on the black pants. They were also a little big on him, and it felt weird to have it touching his legs. Usually as far as covering the details go, a siren would just tie something on their waist the way Piko originally had. That made it easy to transform upon impact with ocean water to allow them a quick escape from humans or other land animals, rather than struggling to free their legs to allow their tail to form. He turned back to Taito, who was now holding out another item. It was silver and had a hinge, making it look like the cuff he was wearing before a certain pirate ever-so-kindly stripped him of his jewelry and accessories. He took it and was about to put it on his wrist before Taito spoke up to correct him.

"It goes on your ankle, Piko." Said siren removed it and bent over to clamp it around his foot. When he looked up at the purple haired teen again, he had his arms outstretched into the cell, holding two more of these cuffs which were connected with a chain.

"How am supposed to get those on when you're holding them up so high?" Piko whispered. The second he'd opened his mouth, Taito flinched violently. The look of fear on his face was soon replaced by a combination of guilt and understanding, mixed with concern and care.

"Y-you put them on your hands," he explained. "These ones are for your wrists… They're hand-cuffs…" Piko slipped his arms into the metal rings as Taito closed them tight around them. He walked away and returned seconds later with a small bucket. He stepped into the cell and pulled a wet rag from the bucket, wringing it out.

"He's thinkin' bout making you his cabin boy." Taito mumbled as he dabbed the boy's cheek. "But don't tell him I sai- HWA!?" the teen took a step back, dropping the rag by Piko's feet. Piko gave him a confused look.

"That's ocean water." He explained calmly. "My skin thinks it's submerged, so it's adjusting to my siren form." He brought his hands up to his face, stroking the scales on his cheek.

"I thought sirens' top halves looked human!"

"Above the surface; but like I said, it thinks I'm underwater."

"So underwater you're entirely fish?" Taito questioned.

"Calling someone a fish is an insult in my community. And no, but in places where the skin is weaker, scales form to protect that area." Taito noticed now how the scales were a rough circle lining the boy's jaw bone.

"Oh.. I'm not supposed to talk to you and such; I'm just ordered to make you look presentable, aside from your hair… So we need to hurry up, or I might get thrown overboard." Taito finished his job in silence, flinching each time his fingernail scraped against one of Piko's scales and nearly screaming when his gills came in to view. Piko stood peacefully, staring at the floor or at his toes as he wriggled them, occasionally gazing into this young pirate's amethyst eyes. After getting most of the visible dirt and blood off of the albino kid, Taito took him upstairs to the main deck.

Upon entering the dining hall of the ship, Piko was met with countless pairs of eyes as the whole room fell silent. Boldly and rather spontaneously, Captain Yuuma stepped onto the table top, marching proudly along it and not sparing a thought for the plates he stepped on or drinks he knocked over. Some of the crew laughed loudly while others cursed over having a drink spilled in his lap.

"Puko~!" Yuuma laughed, stepping off the table and stumbling as he landing in front of the captive.

"It's Piko…" he corrected under his breath.

"Oh, whatever." Yuuma slurred, Cheshire smiling at the boy. "have a seat~" The man was practically singing the words, getting a little closer than Piko would have preferred.

"Your breath is sour." Piko commented, getting slapped upside the head. It didn't hurt, but that didn't make it less undesirable. He was then guided to an open seat next to his pirate captor. Before him were whatever all the other pirates were eating and a small metal cup. Feeling a little confused he look up at the captain next to him, who was downing the contents of a much larger, wooden cup. When he noticed the albino staring, Yuuma slammed his now empty mug onto the table and threw his arm around the kid's neck, pulling him over as his free hand poured another glass of rum. Before Piko could escape his grasp, the mug was shoved in front of his face; the liquid inside it smelled twice as bad as Yuuma's breath.

"Let's make a deal, kid!" Yuuma announced, catching the attention of the rest of the crew as well. "Down this in one go and I'll let ya free."

_All it takes is drinking that stuff? Is it poison? It does smell foul… _Piko thought about it for a shorter amount of time than he should have. His linked hands came up from his lap to grab the cup. He looked around at the people who were staring at him, some of which were choking back laughter and some were tapping someone next to him and pointing. Taking a deep breath and pinching his nose with one hand, he tipped the cup and gulped down the drink.

It felt like sunburn in his throat; not to mention how nasty it tasted. After the second swallow, he was forcing a cough to stay down long enough for him to finish. After the third he placed the mug on the table and covered his mouth as the heat in his throat gave him trouble breathing. Yuuma slapped his back light-heartedly, forcing the last of the coughing fit out of Piko's lungs. Even though he only managed to drink a little over half of the drink, the pirates around him were laughing and praising him. Yuuma finished the drink for him as Piko was leaned over the table, gasping and heaving for a decent sized breath of air.

"You.. You've poisoned me!" Piko whispered harshly with a hoarse voice.

"That ain't poison, kid!" The man on his left laughed.

"If anything, it's an antidote." Yuuma then said, turning Piko's attention back to his right side. "Now eat your bread, it'll settle your stomach." He grabbed the brown ball from Piko's plate and forced it into his mouth. The albino was confused and gnawed at the substance. _What is he talking about? My stomach feels fine. _When he finally managed to chew a piece off and swallow it, he found out exactly what Yuuma meant. The bread found its way back up just as Piko threw himself from the seat and across the distance between the table and the ledge of the ship. He doubled over the handrail, puking up the contents of his stomach and possibly a lung.

"And I thought he'd held it down~!" He heard Yuuma mock whine in the background. He then heard the familiar clacking of boots as he walked over. Piko didn't bother pulling himself off of the wooden guard; he still felt woozy and the waves were a little calming. Something fell from beside him into the water. What was that, ropes? A net, maybe? Then it hit him.

"My hair!" Piko whisper-yelled, turning to face the captain. His hands met the back of his head, feeling around desperately for what was obviously not there. "You cut off my hair!"

"Did I?" Yuuma joked, putting his beloved katana back into its sheath. "I didn't notice. Of course I cut it off. It was disgusting and knotted; there was no hope in trying to brush it. It made you look like a girl anyway. I thought cutting it would help, but I was clearly wrong."

"I do not look like a girl!" Piko argued, taking a defensive stance.

"Oh calm your tits and go eat."

***Compass Rose***

"Wait."

"What?" The drunken captain slurred, stumbling a bit to the right to catch his imaginary fall.

"Can you bring the light stick down here… so I can see?" Piko's hands shifted a bit, chains rattling loudly.

"Light stick? The fuck is that?" Yuuma craned his neck to look for whatever this nut could possibly be talking about.

"At the end of the hall… The hot light on the stick…"

"Hot light on a…-? Do you mean a torch?"

"If that's what it's called." Piko whispered, turning his head to inhale air that _wasn't _tainted with this man's alcoholic breath.

The captain walked away, returning shortly with the glowing stick he'd labeled as a torch. He held it close to the bars for Piko to see as he pointed at the lit part.

"This is fire. It's hot, and it burns, so don't touch." Piko nodded and Yuuma reached into the cell to slide the torch into the wall mount near the bars. He turned and left while Piko was staring at the dancing fire.

_It looks so pretty… far more than any jewel or gem I've ever collected. He said it burns… it can't be worse than a sunburn… it doesn't… look as hot at the sun….. Maybe if I just…_

"Ow~!"

"I warned you." Yuuma called back to the boy who clearly couldn't follow directions. And without another sound in reply, he closed the door and went upstairs.

***Compass Rose***

_**Author's Note:**__ Wow.. I have no words about this… I really had no clue what I was doing, nor have I any clue of how the next chapter will be. Don't think that Piko is taking the fact that he's been raped lightly. That subject will be picked back up in the next chapter. That reminds me. __**Piko was raped. If you didn't want to read the details of the scene, you at least have to know that he was raped.**__ I think that's all right now. By now, I almost forgot that Piko was a siren. That would've been an awkward plot twist, wouldn't it? Next chapter, I think Piko will learn a little more about the ship. Taito is out of his assumed character, but he's going to be Piko's bud through this. Didn't really have plans for him either, but I might throw in a little Kaito x Taito if you guys would like.__** ALRIGHT, thanks for reading, my dearest Muffins! For more updates on the story or others to come, like 'Peridot Emerald' on Facebook. As always; follow, fav, review, and stick around until next Tuesday! Until then, have a nice day!**_


	3. A Compass, a Sneak, and a Starboard Mess

**Disclaimer! I own none of Vocaloid, nor any of its characters. They belong to their respected owners. **

**A/N: **_How does one fan-fiction? UGH I don't even know how to start this chapter… So it's starting with boys just being boys and Taito getting to know his new siren friend a little. This is about, hm... 2 weeks later? Yeah, that sounds good. _

***Compass Rose***

"Ew! Don't do that!" Piko teasingly flicked his long black tongue at his new-found friend again. "Why does it look like that!?"

"I'm not really sure," the albino laughed, "But I bet I know a good way to use it." He winked, securing his reference.

"Piko, ew! You look to innocent to be saying things like that! And explain your eyes."

"Well, this," Piko started, pointing to the black leathery mask around his eyes that matched his tongue. "is so that if I get in a fight or if someone attacks me, they don't mess up my eye-sight. And this film over my eyes is so I can see underwater without salt burning my eyes." Taito watched as the drying black skin faded into a normal skin tone.

"It's so weird how your body works!" Taito mused; looking at the siren's fading features. "Why are your teeth sharp?"

"Because sirens eat fish, crab and turtle meat, and all that stuff. They have to be sharp to get through scales and shells, or just tough skinned things like dolphins and stuff." Seeing the terrified look in Taito's eyes, Piko quickly continued. "But I don't like eating those kinds of things. I eat things like coral and seaweed, and occasionally sea urchins but they hurt my tongue. Coral and urchins are also animals, but they're the more plant-like kind… What is it that you eat?"

"The things we've eaten since you've been here? Well, we usually always have bread and cheese that we get from the docks we stop at, and then we'll have fish and stuff. You have to meet Galaco! She cooks here; maybe later I-"

"Taito! Hurry up and get back on deck!" Yuuma called from the end of the hall before leaving again. Taito felt like jumping out of his skin when the captain's voice rang out.

"Well, I'll see ya later, Piko! I'll leave the torch here for you."

"Okay!" Piko smiled, coughing quietly. "Bye!" Taito hurried upstairs to report to his captain.

***Compass Rose***

"Captain Yuuma!" Said man turned upon hearing his name.

"What is it, kiddo?" Taito had grown used to this pet name, yet he still smiled when he heard it.

"I've noticed that Piko, the siren, is beginning to seem more peaceful and less of a threat. Do you think, maybe soon, you could allow him to help me with my tasks?"

"I'll visit his cell and see his behavior for myself. I'll make my decision then." Yuuma flashed his first mate's brother a smile. "Taito, you're too nice to be a pirate. If you were anyone else's mate you would have walked a long time ago."

"Then I owe you thanks, sir." Taito smiled back. "I know I'm not a good fighter, nor am I talented in preparation or navigation, so I try my hardest to show my appreciation by keeping the ship very clean for you." Yuuma simply tipped his hat and continued on his way to the bow of the ship as Taito left to port to resume cleaning.

Taito, although being close to useless on a pirate's ship, was someone dear to Yuuma. Regardless of the things he says, Yuuma knew he wouldn't throw Taito over, even if his life depended on it. He could faintly remember the day when he discovered both Kaito and Taito hiding in the storage of his mom's beloved ship. Kaito was eight years old at the time and Taito was six. Yuuma himself was ten. His mom had sent him to fetch a block of cheese for supper that night.

"_Who are you and what are you doing down here?" Yuuma demanded. Taito yelped and tears immediately filled his eyes, as where Kaito put on a defensive stance in front of his brother. Right when the older boy opened his mouth to speak, his younger brother spoke up without altering his frightened position. _

"_I'm Taito and h-he's Kaito," He whimpered. "We don't mean any harm; really, we don't! W-we were living in an orphanage that was really poor and mean, and so we ran away and got onto the first ship we could get to…" the boy's explanation barely rang out through shivers and hiccups. "Please forgive us! We tried not to use too much of your supplies!" Yuuma now noticed how the cheese and meat looked like a rat had nibbled on it. He didn't feel angry; however he wasn't sure how his mom would react._

"_Yuuma, is everything okay down here?" Speak of the devil. "Who are these boys!?" She cooed, kneeling down and taking her captain's hat off to set it on the ground next to her._

"_Their names are Taito and Kaito. They're runaways from an orphanage." Yuuma explained, turning his attention to the cheese he was supposed to be taking to the kitchen. "They've also been eating our meats and cheeses." She gave her son a shocked look before staring angrily at the orphaned stowaways. _

"_You two, get upstairs!" She demanded as she stood, readjusting her hat. "Now!" The two scampered away; fresh tears pouring down Taito's cheeks. _

_Ten minutes later, Yuuma was sitting on a stool in his mom's bathroom, thoroughly observing her compass as she ranted._

"_Eating raw meat is terrible for you!" She scolded as she scrubbed the boys' heads. "You're so young; what were you gonna do when you got off this ship?" Neither responded. "Close your eyes so they don't get soap in them." Another thirty minutes later the boys looked a little more decent as their ragged clothes were discarded and their matted hair was brushed and trimmed. They sat at the dinner table with Yuuma that night before sleeping on a few spare blankets in Yuuma's room. From that day on, the three were inseparable. _

Yuuma sighed as he pulled the silver compass from his coat pocket, clicking it open and observing the design behind its needle; the one that matched the art of his ship's flag. It was the same design as any other compass, with the addition of a three-layered heart in the middle. It was a girly design to represent his ship with, but that didn't matter to him. His ship, his hat and this compass were the only things he had left of his mother, and he would forever cherish them. As he stuffed the compass back into his pocket, something tangled around his fingers. He pulled it out; revealing the item to be the locket necklace he found right before seeing Piko for the first time.

"Piko…"He whispered before looking up to the stars. "Are you telling me something, Mom?" Yuuma shrugged and put the necklace around his neck before turning toward the cells. "You've never lead me wrong before."

***Compass Rose***

Normally, Piko wouldn't spare this man a second glance. Sure, he was attractive, possibly better looking than he deserved to be; but ever since that incident in his cell, Piko saw him as a disgusting creature that surely must have been placed on this world as a punishment for some wrong-doing. But, that's _normally. _This time, in the millisecond that his eyes spent on the man, a certain glint caught his eye. The second time he looked, Piko's eyes remained there for what had to have been at least a full minute.

"Yo…" Yuuma said to break the awkward, motionless silence. Blue and green met with amber for a split second before returning to the gold heart that rested on the captain's collarbone.

"Where did you… that necklace…"

"I found it on-"

"It's mine!" Piko demanded before Yuuma could finish. "I found it in a sunken ship! Give it back to me!"

"Apparently you dropped it on a shore." Yuuma replied. "Either way, you're not getting it back. I could get a lot for this, so why would I use it to decorate a captive?"

Piko's lip curled into a hateful snarl as Yuuma stuffed the locket beneath his shirt collar.

"By the way, if you found it in a ship wreck, it's not yours. You stole it from a dead person."

"You steal from living people, so what room have you got to talk?"

"Taito said you're less of a prick than you were at first, and truthfully, I don't see it. Maybe after a month or two of solitary confinement you'll be something worth bragging about." Hearing this, Piko looked up with fear noticeable in his eyes. "I read somewhere that sirens are very affectionate creatures and often kill by mistake. Fill me in on some of that."

"If I may ask, why are you curious about that right now?"

"Mostly because I'm seeing it to be false. You act like a cocky spoiled brat and it's kind of annoying." Yuuma pulled up a chair and sat outside the bars of Piko's cell while the latter sat down near the metal rods.

"Well, sirens are affectionate in a 'family bond' kind of way. We always travel in groups with our parents and or siblings. The only time a siren leaves its own pack is if its mate has a larger or more powerful pack." The albino distracted himself by dipping his hand in a small puddle to watch it transform and revert to its current form.

"So, since you're here with me, would your pack be looking for you or something?" The conversation was no longer for teasing purpose as it built off of Yuuma's personal curiosity and secret fascination in this species.

"My pack…" Piko felt the need to convince this guy he had a strong one. "They, well, _we, _have sunk many ships before. They're probably sinking every ship they come across to search for me. I'm kind of a special case down there… I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was helping in the search…" Well, it wasn't completely a lie. He _was_ considered special.

"So whose pack is stronger?"

"Excuse me; what?"

"Me or you; who has the strongest pack?" Piko felt trapped. What would happen now? If he lied and sided for himself, would Yuuma send him back to the ocean, where he would be rejected and condemned to the land? Or, if he sided for Yuuma, would he think he could overpower a siren pack? That'd result in destruction without a doubt.

"You do," He finally decided on saying. "But if more packs than just my own are searching, they could easily outnumber and overpower you."

Yuuma nodded before continuing. "If sirens only leave their packs for their mate's, why were you alone on that island back then?"

"Oh, that?" Piko squeaked. "That was, well, what happened was, um… My pack was in the water! They were nearby, and they let me run up to put my collections down."

"Really now? Because you sound like you're lying. Nevertheless, if they stayed nearby, why didn't they do something when I cornered you on that cliff? They could have sunk my ship and left me stranded on that island. And also, why didn't the do anything when we caught you in the net? Wher-"

"I don't know, okay!?" Piko choked as the words attempted to project from his throat, thankful to have something he could blame the tears on afterwards. Yuuma raised an eyebrow and stood, entering Piko's cell and settling on the floor across from him.

"Did your pack abandon you?"

"K-kind of…" Piko sniffed, trying to recover his usual façade. "My mom kept her pregnancy a secret because her mate was an outcast of sorts. But I was born before my mom expected me to be and my hair color gave it away, and since my father's pack wouldn't take me in my mom's pack left me to die. But Mom kept sneaking back to where they left me until I was old enough to swim somewhere else. We were in the East Atlantic at that time and she told me to swim to Sargasso and settle on land in America. I never found it though…" Yuuma clicked his tongue before motioning for Piko to continue.

"But on my way I found the island I was on when we met, and decided to stay there. I was about four years old then. I taught myself to walk and decided to stay near that island. A pack of sirens came and let me into their community, but I still never had a pack, and because of that no siren wanted to be my mate. So I pretty much would never have a pack."

"Well, let me start by telling you that I found you in the Pacific, meaning you went completely around America, and we're heading deeper into the Pacific until we reach Asia. It'll be another two or three months before we reach land at all, and that's if our navigation is right and if no storms hit. How old are you now?"

"I stopped aging at a human's 15, which is early for sirens, but regarding how many years I've lived based on the marine calendar, I'm 194."

"Holy fuck."

"No, no! Siren calendars are shorter than human's! A new year starts for us every time the lunar phases repeat. Like, right now, I'm 194, and I was born on a young moon. So on the next young moon, I'll be 195."

"I see; that makes a little sense. So you're actually gonna be about 16, soon..."

"In human years; yes."

They sat in silence for a minute or two before Yuuma stood.

"You're not half bad," He said, turning to leave. He was about to exit the cell before warmth wrapped around his torso from behind. He could feel the boy's cheek pressed against his back and smiled, patting the arm that crossed his chest. "And I guess you aren't as cocky as I thought. Taito said you weren't but I found it hard to believe." The thin arms fell, casually landing behind their owner's back. Yuuma walked out before he faced Piko again. "I'll see you at dinner."

Piko's hands returned to his sides as he smiled, wriggling the fingers of one hand at the captain. "Bye." He whispered happily.

When he heard the door at the end of the hall slam shut, Piko dropped the shit-eating grin and reached into his back pocket, pulling out the silver object he'd snagged from Yuuma's coat. He snapped it open and stared at the design that matched that of the ship's sails, tapping the protective glass cover thoughtfully.

When an idea finally popped into his head, he quickly untied the silk scrap and brought the compass up to his mouth. He sang a note that quickly shattered the glass. After removing enough shards to access the small red needle, Piko removed it and pushed it into the key-hole of the cuff on his ankle. He shook it around until something clicked and the metal loosened. He yanked the confinement device off before giving the cell's key-hole the same treatment.

_Neptune…_ He thought with wide-eyes. _That actually worked… I'm out…_ Piko held back his cheers as he stalked down the cell-lined corridor. He pressed his ear up to the wooden door at the end for a moment. When he was greeted by silence, he cracked it open and slipped through the smallest gap he could manage to fit through before silently closing it again. Without further ado, he ran to the closest ledge of the ship.

Unfortunately, he ran straight into the chest of an enraged captain.

"You little shit." He growled, cocking his gun and putting the barrel to the boy's chin, forcing him to look up at him. "Where is it!?" Yuuma demanded.

"Where is _what_?!" Piko whined, his question being answered with a hard hit to his jaw. The gun that had just been smacked against him returned to its place under his chin.

"You know what! My compass!" Yuuma explained his meaning by pointing to the design on his sails. "The one you pit-pocketed from me!"

"I-I have it…" Piko whispered, slowly moving his hands upwards. "It's right… right here." In a split second his hands clapped over his ears as he inhaled sharply. Before the deadly scream could be released, however, the butt of the pistol slammed into his throat, choking him. Yuuma's elbow connected painfully with the base of Piko's neck, sending him to the floor. He was kicked endlessly. In the stomach, chest, face, sides; the beating didn't seem to end. He couldn't imagine what kind of mess he made as he coughed up blood.

When the blows finally came to a halt, the edges of his vision had already faded to black. He could faintly hear the captain's voice.

"Taito! Clean this god-damned mess up! Kaito watch over shit!" Another kick to his stomach, this time, not as hard. "Get up, you fucking brat." After a few seconds without any response, another gentle but painful nudge to his body came, this time, at his cheek. "Oi, ya deaf? Get the fuck up!"

At the sight of the unmoving boy and the blood pooled around his face, Yuuma, in the far back of his mind, wondered if he went a little too hard on the kid. His boots left Piko's field of vision. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he barely felt the blanket the landed on him before strong arms picked him up.

"Hang in there, kid…" was the last thing he heard before laying his head against somebody's throbbing chest.

***Compass Rose***

**A/N: **_**WOW **__I wrote all of this in one day, after three straight days of writer's block! It actually kind of wrote itself… I won't make early plans for the next chapter, seeing as I jinxed it last time. It's 11:54 PM on Thursday night as I type this. I started typing around 4PM… Well, my dear Muffins! Like Peridot Emerald on Facebook to stay up to date on everything about this story and any of my others! I also made a Skype account just for you beauties, so you can find me under . Follow, Favourite, Review, and stick around for the next chapter! Until then, Stay Beautiful!_


	4. And a side of Writer's Block, to-go

**Disclaimer! I own none of Vocaloid, nor any of its characters. They belong to their respected owners. **

**A/N: **_Hello my dear muffins! READ THIS NOTE:_

_First off, for fan-art and anything you want me to see regarding this story, POST ON TUMBLR WITH THE TAG 'Compass_Rose' I'll be tracking it! At the end of this is my accounts for you guys._

_Sorry for the delay… I had writer's block and a family event, so I didn't finish in the time I hoped to. From now on updates will be every Tuesday. I don't type on weekends, by the way, so that also puts it off a little. ALSO Sorry, but the times are based on a 12 hour clock. _

_Maia is a Greek name meaning 'Mother.' It's not her real name; it's just what she was called by Taito and Kaito instead of 'Mom' As far as I'm concerned, it's pronounced MY-YAH.. _

***Compass Rose***

"_Mama…?"_

"_Yes, baby?" Emerald met with blue and green as the young siren sat next to his mother._

"_Does the pack always do this?" The mom felt a tug in her chest. "Leave the babies alone in place that's scary like this?" She couldn't stand to look at the young creature next to her. The most beautiful siren she'd ever seen, her own son, who was only seen as unwanted and useless. Her own son who should have died two years ago._

"_Yes, my little Piko." She ensured. "So that they can learn to defend themselves in case they get separated from the pack."_

"_When will I get to join the pack again?" the child mused with considerably bright eyes._

"_Soon…" was all his mother could say._

"_Mom?" Piko whimpered, no longer a child. "I can't help but wonder… Where are you now…?" _

***Compass Rose***

_Cold… I'm cold…. No, I'm hot…? _Piko tossed his head as he slipped out of his sleepy state. _I feel both… someone's talking… what happened? I can't remember…_

"ko…. Piko….?"

"I think he's coming to; go fetch him a drink from the kitchen." _Footsteps... A door closing… where am I; it's so… soft…_

"Can you hear me, Piko?" _Is that Taito? _"Open your eyes, now… We need you to wake up."

"Nng… What time is it?" _It's a lot easier to speak. _

Taito and Kaito exchanged a look as Yuuma stood from his seat in the corner, sitting on the edge of his bed instead. He removed the cold rag from the siren boy's forehead and lightly patted the boy's cheek. Mismatched eyes finally cracked open, pale arms rising to protect them from the light of a nearby kerosene lantern.

"Ah, there he is." Yuuma muttered, disguising his smile for a sarcastic grin. When his eyes eventually focused on the captain, Piko shot up from his laying position, gasping from the pain cause by his sudden movement. Had he not been hugging his own torso, the albino would have put his hands to use by swinging at the pink haired bastard by now. "You pulled through, kid," Yuuma stated, standing from the bed and ruffling Piko's hair. "Congrats."

"Here, sweetie." Said a new voice, approaching from the door. She had hair that was split in the middle; half blond, half brown; and a few multi-colored streaks in her bangs. She was holding out a large glass of water. Piko cautiously took it from her, bringing the cup up to his lips.

"Thank you, Galaco." Yuuma said, returning to his chair in the corner. Piko noticed that the captain was repairing his broken compass. Galaco bowed and left, Kaito close behind her.

"I think you're gonna be okay," Taito smiled at Piko before following his brother from the room. Once everyone else had left, Yuuma rose and joined Piko on the bed once again.

"Some stunt you pulled back there." He stated calmly. "Be glad the damage you caused could be fixed. It'd be a damn shame to return you to the ocean cold and stiff." Piko tensed up.

"It's nature to want to escape from confinement." He defended quietly, his troubled breaths running out too quickly.

"Tch, whatever." Yuuma said, reached toward the boy. Piko, unable to move, tensed and shut his eyes. A second later, something cold landed on his chest. "There. It's yours now." The albino looked down to see the locket resting above his collar bone. He met Yuuma's eyes, holding the gaze for a moment.

"A 'thank you' would suffice." Yuuma smarted.

"Fuck you." Surprisingly , Yuuma only laughed at this. He grabbed the boy's shoulders, patting them roughly.

"You really aren't half bad." He admitted before standing up. "Are you hungry or anything?"

"Somewhat… what time is it?"

"Err.. like 11:30-ish?" _That late!? It was only about 8 when he came to my cell!_ "I had Galaco put your dinner aside. I'll go get it." And with that he left.

Piko wasted no time climbing from the large, plush bed that must have belonged to Yuuma. There was a sizable window over near the man's chair, and it was Piko best chance right now. With a severe limp, he approached the window as quickly as possible. When he was about a foot within reach of the window, he felt a yank on his leg. Shocked, he looked to see that he had a new cuff on his ankle, this one attached to a large chain that was docked to the wall near the bed. _How did I not notice that!? _Timely enough, Yuuma walked in, snorting at the sight before him.

"Did ya think I'd make it that easy on you?" He retorted, setting the plate in his hands on the bedside table. "Come eat."

***Compass Rose***

"nn…" Yuuma snapped out of his daze looked toward the bed, where the bulge in his covers was tossing and turning. "Nnnn!" The boy whimpered a bit louder.

"Oi, go to sleep already." Piko turned his head the other way once again. Yuuma kept his eyes on the boy, waiting for him to say something coherent.

"Come back.." the boy finally whispered. Yuuma, confused, stood and approached the bed. Piko kicked the blankets off his body before whipping his body over to face away from the captain.

"What're you blabbin' about?" Yuuma asked, crossing his arms and leaning onto one leg. Piko scrunched his nose up, but otherwise gave no response.

"Don't…leave me…" he whined. Yuuma noticed now that his eyes were shut tightly and his cheeks were tinted red. A thin layer of sweat was visible above his lip and on his forehead. His hair was sticking to his cheeks that were wet with tears.

"Um…Hey?" Yuuma started, noting how pathetic he sounded. He wasn't used to comforting people; the exact opposite, in fact. But somehow, he couldn't help himself. The kid looked so pitiful shaking and whining in his sleep. He sat down in the space provided from the boy moving around so much, laying his legs as gently as possible as not to wake the boy. He leaned against the headboard, placing his hat on the table next to him. He sat there, not knowing what to do for the boy. He stared at his pale, shivering figure that was dressed in just a pair of shorts donated from one of the other women working on the ship. He thought back to a week ago when he first locked the kid away; to when he raped him. "I wish you knew…" he whispered. "I just didn't want to lose you…" Though he knew he'd never be able to say those words when the boy was actually listening.

"Don't leave…" the albino whispered again with his back facing his captor. Yuuma gently and cautiously laid a hand on Piko's thin shoulder.

"I won't," He replied without thought. "I'm right here." At this, the chained kid rolled to face Yuuma again; his arm swinging out with the momentum and slapping the captain's leg. "So you attack me even in your sleep?" He whispered, restraining a laugh. Piko recoiled his arm and moved closer to Yuuma. Although his sleeping mind didn't know _who_ was suddenly joining him in the bed, he knew that someone was there. Unfortunately, he confused it for the person he was missing in his dream.

Yuuma smiled at the siren who was now hugging his waist, its head rested in his lap. He subconsciously stroked the boy's hair, feeling as his breathing noticeably calmed. _I guess his nightmare ended._ He leaned forward and grabbed the blanket at his feet, pulling it around Piko's shoulders. "I'm here…"

***Compass Rose***

"Captain… Captain Yuuma…."

"Nng what is it?" Yuuma cracked an eye open to stare at the violet-haired boy by his bed.

"Kaito sent me to you. He's in the crow's nest; says there's a small civilized island nearby and that we should stop to stock up again. He also says it's the last bit civilized land we'll see between now and the time when we reach Asia."

"Very well; I'll be up soon." He noticed the weight on his leg, soon remembering the boy who was there. Taito had a Cheshire grin on his face.

"I told you he's not bad," was all he said before bowing to the man and leaving. If it were anyone else, Yuuma would have killed them; but he knew Kaito and Taito wouldn't talk behind his back. Kaito seemed to have something personal against the siren boy, but Taito had always been nosey about who's seeing who, and probably knew each crew member's life story by heart. Secrets have always been safe with him.

When he finally blinked the sleep out of his eyes, Yuuma looked around. First at the light shining in through his window. _Looks about… 9:00?_ Then to the boy sleeping on his legs. Thankfully, Taito was one of those people who are so quiet it freaks you out sometimes; the boy didn't wake up when he entered. It was then that Yuuma realized he wouldn't be able to move without waking him. Oh, did he hope the kid was more of a morning person than he was an 'any other time of the day' person.

"Oi, wake up." In a shocked response to a voice he despised, Piko was up in an instant and his fist connected with the closest thing it found. Five minutes later, the albino completed his task of tidying the bed as Yuuma was doubled over on the floor, his hands still holding the area where he was sure his future children no longer lived.

"It was your fault." Piko muttered, walking over to the man.

"All I did was told you to wake up." Yuuma groaned.

"You shouldn't have been in the bed with me."

"It's _my _bed!" He exclaimed. "And you were the one crying and clinging to my leg for dear life!"

"I was… crying…?" Piko said with a much quieter voice as Yuuma got to his feet. _I'll be feeling that for days_ he thought as he patted Piko on the shoulder. Without another word he left the room, opting to join Kaito in navigating the ship.

***Compass Rose***

"Oh, come on!" Kaito let out a sigh.

"No matter what you say, Yuuma, you'll never convince me that it's a good idea." He explained. "I know I have no authority over you, but I'll still give you my opinion."

"Hey, Kaito," Taito's soft voice broke the conversation between the captain and his first mate, blue and amber sets of eyes meeting with his purple gaze. "I couldn't help but to overhear your conversation, and I really think you are holding a personal grudge towards Piko."

"Yea, listen to your brother!" Yuuma cheered, raising his glass.

"However, Captain…" The violet haired teen countered, "I also think that taking Piko off the ship could be a bad idea. Although his behavior is rather tame around me, you never know how he'll act once he's steps away from the water."

"You kiddin', boy?" the captain replied. "I beat him to a fucking pulp! He can hardly take a piss, much less swim away!"

"But sir, Piko told me-"

"Piko can't do shit, Kiddo." Yuuma laughed, sipping his rum. "So it's settled, I'll take him to the village. Maybe he can learn a little class."

"You certainly shouldn't be the judge of that." Kaito muttered to his drunken friend, removing the captain's hat to place it on his own head. Anyone else would face consequences for touching Yuuma's mother's hat, but Kaito no longer saw any harm in it. He also snatched the man's bottle, taking a swig of the alcohol before returning it to him. "Look, we're twins." He mused sarcastically, laughing as he returned his friend's hat. Yuuma laughed along as well, throwing an arm over Taito's shoulder. Although he was of age to drink, Taito always preferred not to. After all, someone had to be sober to steer this beast of a ship.

"Oi~" Yuuma groaned, ruffling the boy's hair. "Go talk to the…the… that whatever he is!" Yuuma laughed, his drunken mind too hazed to think of one simple word.

"Yes sir…" Taito muttered, walking in the direction of Yuuma's quarters. He cracked the heavy door open to find a mop of white hair against the pillows of the captain's messy bed. _It's a little early for sleeping,_ Taito thought. _He just had dinner; did he eat too much? _He nervously and cautiously walked over to the boy, who was practically buried alive by covers and blankets.

"Um… Hey?" He whispered, noting how the blankets shifted in response to his voice.

"Taito, what are you doing in here?" Piko mumbled, not bothering in turning to face the boy. Soon enough he felt the shifting of the bed as Taito sat beside him.

"Never mind that," He said with concern clear in his voice. "Are you okay? I mean, in a sense…" It was definitely a dumb question, Taito assumed, seeing as the kid came inches from cutting his red thread.

"I'm in pain, if that's what you're asking," Piko replied. "It's not that bad, so I think I just need to rest."

"Where does it hurt?"

"Everywhere." The siren snapped without hesitation. "I hate that bastard."

"I don't think you should hate him, honestly." Taito was met with a look that said 'are you kidding me?' and quickly continued. "I mean, considering you're still alive, he must've went a little easy on you."

"I'd be dead if I were mortal." Piko explained. "And even still, I think killing me off would have been more appreciated."

"You don't mean that!" Taito cried.

"Then why would I say it!?" The albino snapped back, his hands clutching his chest immediately after. Due to the rough beating, his lungs were having trouble filling themselves with air, leaving him out of breath if he so much as moved too fast. As his breathing finally caught up to him, he noticed the faint sound of Taito's now ragged breathing. "Are you crying?"

"Do you really mean that, Piko?" The pirate boy whimpered, urging his tears not to fall. If Yuuma or Kaito caught him crying, he'd never live it down. It was bad enough that everybody on the ship saw him as useless and weak; he didn't need them to know he was crying over a captive.

"Why would somebody want to live this way?" He whispered calmly, slowly rising to sit against the headboard. "I didn't have a real home to begin with, and now that your captain has done what he has, I can't return to what I did have." He grabbed Taito's arm and rubbed his palm the way one would stroke a sleeping animal. "Not only that, but now I'm chained up as a sex sla-"

Before Piko could finish his sentence, he was met with an open palm to his cheek. Taito was off the mattress in an instant, retreating as if the siren had threatened to kill him. The look in his amethyst eyes, however, made the situation look the other way around.

"You are _not _a sex slave!" He argued; his voice like the crack of a whip. "You are anything but that! Maybe it was rape the first time, but Piko, Yuuma is a man of respect and dignity! He would never dip so low as to do something like that to a child!" By now he was breathing heavily, trembling with anger. "He's told me things that I'm not allowed to tell you, and as much as I hate keeping secrets from a friend, I have to keep it for him. He's not just my captain, Piko, and I've told you our stories… All I can tell you is that whatever it looks like to you isn't true. If he really hated you that much, you would be living freely in the ocean." He moved over to the siren on the bed with an apologetic look in his eyes. His hand gently stroked the boy's reddened cheek, the connection of their gazes serving as a silent apology. Cautiously, as not to further injure the kid, he wrapped his arms around him and kissed him on the head. It was a chaste kiss, of course, symbolizing nothing further than friendly affection. Although they had only known each other a short time, the two quickly became nearly inseparable. If they didn't know better, other crew mates would have assumed they'd known each other forever. "If there's one thing I can tell you for sure about Yuuma, it's that he doesn't waste his time." Taito whispered as he broke their embrace. "You're something special, Kiddo." He smiled as fond memories of being told the same words entered his mind. "Give him the chance and you'll see it."

A moment of silence passed between the two. Piko lied back down, careful not to show his doubt towards Taito's words. For 'something special,' he was sure being treated like a piece of shit. Taito also seemed deep in thought, staring at the window in silence. After a minute or so, he turned back to Piko with a smile. "I'm gonna let you rest," He smiled. "We should be reaching land in the morning, but I'm not sure if Yuuma will allow you to leave the ship…"

***Compass Rose***

"Why won't you ever listen to me, Kaito!?" Taito cried, stomping his foot against the floor boards as if it'd get his point across. Kaito looked down at his brother in disapproval, shaking his head slowly as he reached out, grabbing Taito's shoulder.

"I'm listening, but I'm not agreeing, Taito." He said calmly. "You need to understand that Piko isn't here to stay. He's not here to be your friend or to become a crew mate. He's here as a captive."

"And what if Maia would have dumped us off, huh?" The boy shouted. "We wouldn't have any of this! We wouldn't know Yuuma! We probably wouldn't be alive!" He pushed his brother's hand off his shoulder, stepping back. "Piko has as much to look forward to as we did back then. Maia wouldn't have dropped him off so why should we?"

"Maia isn't here anym-"

"It's still her ship!" Taito raised his voice now. "You're not being fair to him! Piko did nothing to deserve the treatment he's receiving! If anything, we were on his land!"

"Taito… Look, Hiroshi was a generous woman. But back then, you and I were human children. Piko is a siren; do you know what that is? It's an immortal creature that sings to kill people."

"I'm a pirate, Kaito! Do you know what that is? It's a ruthless human creature who mercilessly pillages towns! `Who rapes women and burns down houses! Who steals and curses and enjoys seeing people in pain!"

"You don't do that stuff, Taito. You're barely a pirate as it is; you're really just a swab."

"But on land, people look at me as a pirate, just because I am a part of this crew!" He defended. "And you're defining Piko on stereotypical mythology; just because he happens to be of a certain species!"

"It's different,"

"It's not! You know it isn't! You're scared of him, and you don't want to admit it, Kaito!" Taito took Kaito's hand, leading it to his own cheek. He leaned into his brother's palm and looked up at him with sincerity in his eyes. "Does it look like he's hurt me? Back then, when he tried to, it was a natural instinct. If you were being locked away for no reason, you'd probably try to kill and escape too, right…?"

Kaito shook his head, leading Taito over to his bed. "Just go to sleep. I'll discuss it with Yuuma in the morning."

Maybe five minutes after settling into his own bed on the other side of the room, Kaito felt a light tugging at his blanket and smiled. "Go ahead," he whispered. His reply was weight shifting on the bed as Taito crawled under the blankets with him. It was a habit the boy picked up recently, fearing night terrors or something. Really, how was this one still alive in such a cruel setting? Either way, Kaito could never stay mad at his brother when he knew he'd be curled up next to him hours later. He wrapped his arms around Taito reassuringly and placed a chaste kiss on his shoulder blade.

***Compass Rose***

Meanwhile in the other room, things weren't going so well.

Piko sat helplessly next to the intoxicated Yuuma. Although there was nothing being said, it wasn't a very desirable situation for the siren. Yuuma's left arm was snaked around Piko's waist, holding him against his body, while his right hand held some object. Piko remembered seeing a few before, but all the beige looking pieces that Yuuma was staring at had fallen apart. He didn't want to admit it, but he was genuinely curious about the markings inside it. Amber drifted over to meet blue and green, holding his stare for a second.

"Are you reading it too?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," He said honestly, glancing down at his lap. "What is that?"

"What is _this_?" Yuuma confirmed as he lifted the object.

"Is that reading?" The captain had to hold back a laugh at the boy's ignorance.

"This is a book," He explained. "You read it."

"What's reading?"

"Oh god…" He sighed, closing the book. "Reading is where you look at the words on the page and learn the story they tell."

"How do you do it?" There was no stopping the boy's questions now that they'd been released.

"I'll teach you sometime." Yuuma convinced both the siren and himself, although he knew it was most likely a lie. However he couldn't deny how cute Piko looked as he stared at the book, confusion in his eyes as he tried to make sense of the markings on the front cover. His drunken mind left him and his body acted on its own, closing the distance between the two. Lips met in a second, unfazed by the sound of shock from Piko's.

As their kiss continued, Yuuma's hands found their way into the younger boy's hair, ruining any chance he had of breaking the kiss. He gave the silver locks a yank, taking advantage of his parted lips when he let out a yelp of pain. His tongue intruded Piko's mouth, exploring every bit of him. Piko on the other hand couldn't get past the taste of alcohol, his porcelain-like hands trying to push Yuuma away by the shoulders. Unfortunately for him, his body was weakened from yesterday's beating. In the end, all he could do was play along to avoid further punishment.

He hesitated before allowing his tongue to skim the captain's lip, feeling the pink-haired man smirk against the kiss. Knowing he'd regret it later, Piko urged his tongue to enter Yuuma's mouth and familiarize himself with the man's intoxicating flavor. Had the taste no belonged to a pirate, he might have actually enjoyed it. The hand in his hair remained as Yuuma's other hand moved up Piko's leg, tempting the kiss to move further. His vocal chords betrayed him by releasing a quiet moan, filling his cheeks with color. The siren's hands subconsciously fell from their position on the pirate's shoulders, clutching the sleeves above his elbows instead.

Hearing the noise from his captive, Yuuma leaned back to observe the boy's face. His pale skin was now tainted with shades of dusted pink and blood red, and his vibrant eyes were glossy with lust that he'd never admit to feeling. His lips were wet and a little swollen, parted as he panted for a breath, and his hair was a little frizzy in the back where Yuuma's hand had just been.

_He's really too much._ Yuuma thought to himself as Piko started to breathe normally again.

***Yaoi Warning!***

He suddenly felt grateful that the boy was once again dressed in only a pair of shorts as he ran his hand up his sides, starting from his waist. The touch sent a jolt down Piko's spine, his body shaking from the sudden chill. Another unintended whimper spilled from his lips as Yuuma's hands made their way back down his torso, his nails gently scratching his soft flesh. The captain leaned forward and planted a kiss on Piko's collar bone before moving over the boy's throbbing chest. He smirked and flicked his tongue against his nipple, satisfied with the small gasp he received as a reward as he took the bead of flesh into his mouth, sucking gently and licking the hardened nub before allowing his teeth to join the game. Piko's quiet moans were like jolts of pleasure straight to the pirate's groin, as well as the sight of the boy biting his hand in a futile hope to keep quiet. He silently continued his hungry attack on the siren's nipples, noting how his shorts were beginning to look a little tight.

"Enjoying this?" He chuckled at the boy's reddened face, gently grabbing his hand. "Don't bite yourself, dumbass." Yuuma smirked. His hand tangled in Piko's hair once again, leading him off the bed before pushing him onto his knees between Yuuma's legs. Piko let out a small grunt of annoyance as he glared at the man, hoping it'd get his point across. He didn't have enough energy to express violence, nor anywhere near enough strength to endure punishment for doing so. All he had left were the imaginary daggers that stabbed the captain every time Piko looked at him; unfortunately they couldn't do any physical damage.

Before Piko could register the captain's movement, the man's pants were unbuttoned and any under layers were forgotten. "Bite and you're dead." Yuuma muttered, tapping the siren's jaw gently. Piko took the silent command and took the captain's arousal into his mouth, closing his lips around the tip. His tongue swirled around the head and the bitter taste of pre-cum lingered on his taste buds. He soon felt a hand return into his hair, tugging at the strands. Piko winced and glanced up to meet amber before the hand shoved his head further down Yuuma's cock. He let out a surprised yelp as the member was forced to the back of his throat, causing him to gag. Somewhere in the back of his mind he registered the sound of Yuuma chuckling at his reaction. He continued to work at the pirate's need, letting out a quiet moan when a foot was pressed against his own heat. His hips moved without his permission, grinding against his foot in an attempt to please himself.

"You're a slutty thing, ain't'cha?" He mumbled from his drunken stupor. "Suck." Piko obeyed and hollowed his cheeks, his tongue still toying at the length. He felt disgusting in this ordeal, but it was better than being kicked again. So long as it kept him from getting any worse, he would submit to the man; if only for now. His body began to trick him into enjoying this as he continuously pushed against Yuuma's foot and found a steady rhythm at which to bob his head down Yuuma's shaft. Soon enough he felt heat fill his mouth as he let out a guttural moan. His hand came to his lips, only to be pulled away. "Swallow it," he demanded, looking down at the captive. Piko hesitated, unsure of what to do in the moment, and opted for what he'd been told.

He regretted that decision seconds later as the thick liquid coated his throat, causing him to choke. As his coughing fit came to an end, he wiped his mouth and looked up at the captain who was offering him a bottle. Choosing not to choke for the second time in a row, he shook his head and let out a final cough.

"Sexy little shit," He mumbled, grabbing his hair. "Get your ass up here."

** *****Compass Rose***

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **__This was completely a result of writer's block, but I'm a little proud of it. Almost forgot to post this, honestly. _

_REPLACE THE *'S WITH .'S_

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	5. Thanks for the Dagger?

**Disclaimer! I own none of Vocaloid, nor any of its characters. They belong to their respected owners. **

**A/N: **_Hello my dear muffins! READ THIS NOTE:_

_First off, for fan-art and anything you want me to see regarding this story, POST ON TUMBLR WITH THE TAG __**'Compass_Rose_fic'**__ I'll be tracking it! At the end of this is my accounts for you guys. _

_WOW sorry for the delay. I know Piko has a sudden change of character in this chapter, and here is the explanation. He's pretty much trying to behave and act how he thinks Yuuma want him to act, because 1: he doesn't want to get punished while he's weak, and 2: since he can't go back to the ocean, he doesn't want Yuuma to become annoyed with him and abandon him somewhere. He feels safer on the ship where he knows he'll have food and shelter. It's almost like purposely going to jail because you're homeless._

_ALRIGHT LET'S GET STARTED._

***Compass Rose***

The next morning, Piko woke up to an empty bed. He groaned in protest to the light coming in from the window and stretched his aching body, feeling a stab of pain from the bottom of his spine. He winced and slowly sat up, noting how the pain in his abdomen was still going strong in its endless throbbing. He rubbed his eyes, yawning softly.

"Finally awake?" The captain's voice entered with his body, the door closing behind him. Piko tried to speak, noticing now that his throat was incapable. His hands quickly scouted out the problem, connecting with a metal ring clamped tightly around his neck. He looked at Yuuma with a confused gaze, pointing to the contraption that matched the one on his ankle.

"Oh," He muttered, opening a storage chest at the foot of the bed. "Safety precaution; we don't need you screaming or calling more sirens or some shit." The boy replied with an offended glare that went either unnoticed or ignored as some clothes were thrown at him. "Go change." Yuuma ordered, pointing to the small bathroom in his quarters. Piko stood, walking calmly to the room. He felt no need to discuss last night's events, knowing now that it did no good to try to argue with this man. All he could do anymore was whatever he was told to do by this man and hopefully do it well enough to avoid punishment.

A few minutes later, he stepped out dressed in a casual light blue dress shirt and a pair of white pants. Yuuma had also changed and was now wearing a white dress shirt and black pants. He motioned for Piko to kneel next to him on the floor in front of the chest from earlier.

Piko did as he was told, looking at the items being thrown around in the box.

"Here," Yuuma finally said, dropping a pair of shoes into Piko's lap. "See if those fit you." The siren inspected the grey slipper slip on shoes before putting them on his feet. "Good, they fit. Those shoes and the clothes you're wearing were my mom's, so don't fuck them up. Trust me; if you were the size of a normal _boy _you wouldn't be wearing it in the first place."

_Oh, okay. So not only am I a 'dirty siren,' _Piko thought. But now _I'm a dirty and undersized siren. In my opinion, you're a little too large for a guy your age so- _

Yuuma looked at the weird child who was now sticking his tongue out and blowing raspberries at nothing in particular after seemingly holding a silent conversation with himself.

"Your face is gonna get stuck that way," Yuuma muttered, laughing as the boy quickly hid his tongue and shook his head. "Let's go."

***Compass Rose***

"Uwah~!" The siren whispered, tugging on Yuuma's sleeve and pointing. He turned his attention from the man he was talking to, curious of what this kid was so interested in. He followed the boy's finger to the shower of sparks being emitted from a blacksmith's stone.

"Piko, that's just a blacksmith." The captain said bluntly before returning to his conversation. Piko pouted a little, unsure of why Yuuma had no interest in it. He then had to remind himself that Yuuma goes on land a lot, and probably sees 'blacksmiths' all the time. Still, he was getting a little antsy just standing here. He was instructed to stay near his captor, who was holding a conversation that seemed to never end. Honestly; he felt like a child right now, and he hated it.

He walked over to stand behind Kaito now, squinting to see what was on this side of the group. Taito soon joined him.

"I'd take ya to some shops," he muttered, "But Yuuma wants you near him." Piko only looked at the violet headed boy and nodded. For some reason, Taito's eyes didn't mirror the excitement in Piko's. Instead they showed… pity? Sympathy? Whatever; he can sulks all he wants. Even if it was with pirates, Piko was on civil lands for the first time in his life. He noticed some people staring at him, and couldn't help but wonder how come. Surely they didn't think he was also a pirate.

Regardless, there was nothing to hold back the silent snarl and the curl of his lip, making the women turn their attentions elsewhere. Piko shifted impatiently and returned to Yuuma, tugging on his sleeve and pointing toward the small vendors.

"Alright, alright." He looked down at the teen, slightly annoyed. "Go, but stay where I can see you." Piko didn't waste a second as he took off in the direction of the shops.

***Compass Rose***

"Kaito, does he really look harmful to you!" Yuuma asked in frustration as he pointed at the siren who was absorbed in the contents of some stand. "Look at him!"

"It's me or him, Captain!" Kaito snapped, stepping towards his superior. "Are you gonna choose a damned siren, Yuuma, or your brothers?"

Yuuma sighed, knowing he'd lost this fight.

"That's what I thought…" Kaito said with a much calmer tone.

"Later."

"What?"

"Later," Yuuma repeated. "We'll wait until we're about to leave before we drop him off." Kaito looked at him doubtfully. "Kaito, if we drop him off now, he could easily get back onboard without us noticing. If we drop him and leave, it'll be too late by the time he realizes where he is."

"Fine, as long as he's not on the ship when we leave, I don't care when you do it."

***Compass Rose***

_**[[A/N: Lassie pretty much refers to a young girl, for those out there who are unfamiliar with the term.]]**_

Piko stared in wonder over the thick wooden counter, watching as tiny fires flew everywhere. They suddenly stopped and the object making them was dropped onto a nearby table. The large man who had been sitting at the stone stood and approached Piko with a deep laugh.

"You've been standin' there quite a while and you haven't said a thing, lassie!" He chuckled. "What's a little thing like you doin' here alone anyway?"

_Who is Lassie? _Piko thought. He smiled and pointed at the stone.

"Cat got'cha tongue?" He let out a loud laugh as he turned, reaching for the long blade he'd been sharpening moments ago. "Now don't ya tell me that a little bitty thing like you is eye'n this."

The siren quickly shook his head, letting out a silent laugh. This man and the way he spoke was all too funny to him. _I think if a cat had my tongue I would know what a cat is, right? And why would I be interested in that thing? It's too long! _Part of Piko wished he could speak back to the blacksmith. _Maybe he knows how to take the cuff off my neck?_ The boy snapped out of his thoughts as a small dagger was placed on the counter in front of him.

"A young woman like you shouldn't be out here alone, ya know. Take this, don't'cha worry a thing 'bout the cost!"

_Oh, I'm not alo- __**WOMAN**__!? I'm a boy! And I don't need your stinkin' dag-_

"Piko," Yuuma's voice rang out from a few meters away. Piko hastily nodded at the man behind the counter as thanks before shoving the dagger into his pocket, out of Yuuma's sight. He turned to face the captain as he approached. "Sorry for the bother, sir," the pirate laughed.

"Oh, ain't no botherin' here." The blacksmith smiled. By now, Piko had scouted out Taito a few stands away and was running over to see what he'd found. "She's quite the looker there; you're a lucky man."

"A wha-?" Yuuma laughed, waving his hands in front of his face. "No, no,no, sir, you've got it wrong. Piko isn't-"

"I don't need no explanation, m'boy." The bulky man grinned, cutting him off. "You should embrace your woman; she gots high spirits, she does."

"I don't think you understand," The pirate started again, laying his beloved katana on the counter.

"Oh, I understand perfectly." Was the reply he got as the smith unsheathed the katana and inspected it. "Now you get along over there with your lassie and I'll take care of this beaut."

"You be careful with that thing, ya hear?" Yuuma growled, trying to look intimidating past the light blush on his cheeks. He got a laugh in response. Before either man could say another word, Taito's voice rang out.

"Cap'n Yuumaaa!" He called, waving his hand high up in the air. "There's a glass fixer-upper-man over here! May' he can fix Maia's compass!" Yuuma pinched the bridge of his nose as he strode toward his adopted brother, shaking his head in embarrassment. When he reached the two boys, he whacked Taito upside the head with one hand and grabbed hold of Piko's forearm with the other.

"Thanks, but no thanks." He muttered as he dragged the two boys along. When he got a decent distance away, he turned to face Taito. "Are you crazy?"

"What'd I do?!" The boy shrieked. Yuuma sighed and pulled out his compass.

"Tell me what this is." He said, pointing to the heart design in the background.

"The symbol on our jo- Ohhh"

"There ya go, dipshit." Yuuma smarted, pocketing the compass and clapping his hands. "I told you that we don't want to draw attention to our crew on an island like this. We're not causing any trouble unless absolutely necessary. Understood?"

"Yes sir..." Taito groaned, hanging his head. He watched as Yuuma and Piko walked away before turning back to the small shops along the strip.

"Alright Piko," Yuuma yawned. "What'cha wanna do?" Piko looked up at the captain before looking around them. His eye finally caught glimpse of a shop with colorful pictures in the window. He pointed and Yuuma looked at him doubtfully before leading him in the direction of the store.

Piko entered the tiny shop, staring around in awe. Everything was full of color. A box full of shining materials caught his eye and he hurried over to it, pulling out one of the sheets and holding it up to Yuuma.

"It's paper." Yuuma explained. "Like what's in my book. You write on it and stuff."

"Origami paper, sir." A woman's voice corrected. She looked down at Piko, smiling. She grabbed a stack of the decorated paper and set it on a counter, pulling out a barstool to sit on. Piko looked at Yuuma and followed suit, watching the red-head's hands as she quickly folded the paper in all different ways. To Piko's surprise, the paper that was once flat now sat up proudly displaying itself as a swan. He smiled and clapped his hands, stopping abruptly when he was handed a sheet.

"My name is Nekomura," She smiled. "Or Iroha, either is fine." Piko looked from her to Yuuma.

"He's Piko," Yuuma sighed. "And I'm Kaoda." Piko shot Yuuma a shocked and confused expression, furrowing his eyebrows. To Yuuma's relief, Iroha quickly dragged his attention back to her as she instructed him on how to fold the paper into a simple crane. When they were done, Piko grinned, holding the crane up to Yuuma.

"Yes, I see it," Yuuma laughed, pushing it away from his face. "Very... nice?" Well, what else was he supposed to say? It was lop-sided and Piko somehow managed to fold it inside-out. The siren took off to look at other things around the store, from paintings to scraps of fabric. He came across some paints and couldn't seem to resist dipping his fingers in the colorful liquids.

It was interesting at first, until he grew tired of not being able to touch things. He held his hands up to Yuuma, who only lifted an eyebrow at him.

"You shouldn't have been touching everything." He said, turning back to continue looking at some painting. That was when he felt something cold and wet against his cheek. He looked at his reflection in the window, and sure enough there was an assortment of colors displayed on his face.

"Oh!" Nekomura let out a laugh. "I've got some water in a bucket right here if you wanna get that off!" Yuuma cut Piko a look and approached the woman who was holding out a bucket. He thanked her quietly and splashed some of the water onto his face. _Saltwater… _He noted. _Piko's hands will convert, won't they? _He sighed and dried his face on his sleeve, turning to see the siren and sending him a look that hopefully got his point across. Nope.

Piko dipped his hands in the bucket of water, thankful to get rid of the sticky dyes.

"Idiot." He heard being whispered into his ear. "When they're clean, put them in your pocket and do _not _take them out until they're dry, got it? She can't know."

Piko nodded, suddenly remembering his ability to transform. Yuuma called his thanks to Iroha and left the shop with Piko close behind him.

***Compass Rose***

"Piko, it's been all day." Yuuma muttered. "And you've already visited every shop. Are you planning on walking up into people's houses now?"

Piko turned to face the man who was walking a little too slow for his liking and crossed his arms.

"Okay, okay." Yuuma continued walking alongside Piko, who was leading him to god only knows where. As they were walking, Yuuma happened to notice Kaito standing nearby. They exchanged a look and Kaito tapped his wrist, signaling that it was time to go. The captain was entirely unsure of the reason for his blood to suddenly run cold, but he didn't like it. For some reason, his next words were hard to say.

"Piko, there's somewhere I need to take you." The albino spun to face Yuuma, looking slightly confused. Yuuma said nothing as he removed Piko's collar. "It's this way, let's go."

About ten minutes later, they were walking up the steps to a larger building.

"Hello there, please come in!" The woman smiled.

"Actually, I'll be staying out here," Yuuma murmured sheepishly. "You go on in Piko."

"What is this place?" The siren asked quietly.

"It's nothing, there's just boys your age here as well, and I thought you'd like to meet them."

"I don't need friends," Piko explained. "I have Taito. He's my friend." Yuuma shook his head.

"Look, just go on and talk to some people. I have to go to the blacksmith and get my katana, and then I'll be back."

Piko gave him an unsure look. "Okay…" He trudged inside, stepping over dozens of pairs of shoes. Some younger boys were running everywhere, screaming and yelling at each other. At a table in the kitchen, a group of four older boys, probably about his age, chatted quietly. Unsure of where to go, Piko stood at the foot of the stairs, looking around.

"Pssst!" He turned sharply toward the voice that came from above him. Looking over the banister was a set of blue eyes, nearly hidden by messy blond hair. He smiled and waved, getting a shy wave back from the muted siren. The blond made a beckoning motion with his finger and Piko followed, creeping slowly up the stairs. When he got to the top, the boy smiled and extended his left arm. "I'm Len!" He grinned.

"P-piko…" He replied quietly.

"I saw ya get off that ship earlier." He explained. "Is that a _pirate_ ship?"

"Um.. Yeah, it's the Compass."

"The Compass _Rose?" _Len gasped. Piko nodded and Len grinned even wider.

"Oliver!" He called. "Here's a boy from the Compass!" Piko heard a door open and close, followed by quiet footsteps. A boy who nearly matched Len's appearance now joined them, staring Piko up and down.

***Compass Rose***

"Dinner, boys!" the home mother called. Piko, Len, and Oliver, as well as some boys from the other bedrooms, descended the stairs. The mother smiled at Piko as he sat in between his two new friends. A stack of plates was passed around, an extra dish being handed back to the nun.

"Now that can't be right…" She looked around at each of the boys and quickly spotted the problem. She smiled sympathetically and placed the plate in the empty space in front of Piko. "I think they skipped you," She smiled.

"No," Piko smiled back, handing it back to her. "They didn't. I just don't want to spoil my appetite. Galaco works really hard to cook for the ship, so I don't want to waste the dinner she makes tonight." He ignored the strange look in the woman's eyes. "Yu-Kaoda should be back soon." He quickly remembered how Yuuma told him that Kaoda was a name he used on land so people wouldn't attack his ship.

"Oh, sweetie," The mother sighed. "Kaoda told me that he had to leave on his ship." She lied. "He said he'd be back tomorrow for you."

"That's impossible. He's not stopping again until Asia…" Piko muttered, suddenly shaking. "Where am I!? What is this place!?" He demanded.

"It's an orphanage, stupid." A boy spoke up.

"River!" The mother scolded.

"Kaoda or whoever didn't want ya, so he dumped you off here and ran away." River ignored his guardian's scolding and continued anyway. Piko, however, didn't stay to hear the end of the sentence.

He ran from the orphanage and toward the sound of clashing waves. Far in the distance, he could see the faintest outline of a few ships. One of them _had_ to be Yuuma. Tears soaked his eyes as he remembered one small detail. The cuff still locked around his ankle.

Sitting in the sand of the beach, he desperately pried at the object, proving his attempts futile. A dull stabbing in his thigh gave him an idea. He quickly retrieved the dagger from his pocket, lining the tip up with the hinge of the cuff and clamping his hands around the handle. He released a short, loud scream that cracked the object, the dagger somehow remaining intact. He stood and ran as he noticed two bodies running after him. He dove into the water, removing the pants he'd borrowed and allowing his tail to transform for the first time since he'd been captured. He felt his injuries healing as his pain subsided, but had no time to enjoy the tingling sensations. He sped off in the direction of the ships as Oliver and Len waved their farewells from the shore, amazement in their adolescent eyes.

***Compass Rose***

**A/N:**_ Typed this all in one day WOOH! Ah, a pretty good chapter if I do say so myself. Well, it's officially Wednesday as I type this, but oh well o-o it's Tuesday somewhere. _

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_**Until next time, my Muffins, Stay Beautiful! **_


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